Needle syringe equipment



March 17, 1936.

G. N. HEIN 2,034,294

NEEDLE SYRINGE EQUIPMENT Filed April 27, 1934 Patented Mar. 17, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to improvements in needle syringe equipment andparticularly to that class of needle syringe equipment usually known ashypodermic syringe structures in which a tubular ejection needle is aseparate element connected for operative purposes to the syringestructure by a separate ferrule or hub.

Broadly, the use of a separate needle with a lug intermediate its endsis known, but heretofore there have been objections to such separateneedles for use in syringe equipment, due to the fact that a tightleak-proof seat could not be obtained between needle and syringe bodywithout use of a wrench or tool for seating the needle, and not only wasthis inconvenient, but the nipple on the discharge end of the syringebody was frequently broken, especially in glass barrel syringes, (ofwhat is commonly known as the Luer type) also the seating of the needlehad to be of such force of contact with its seat that the material ofthe seat or of the lug became deformed, so that a needle would not forma perfect seat or joint in the next operation. Professional operatorsgenerally have been forced to the expense of utilizing the combined orintegral needle and hub or ferrule, rather than be inconvenienced bythese diiliculties. Another objection to the separate needle has beenthat its sharpened or incision end has been dulled by the act ofinserting the incision end through a hub or ferrule. Another objectionto needles of all types is that the fulcrum of the needle under lateralstrain is against a rigid surface at the tip or discharge end of theferrule or hub, and if the needle breaks at this point of fulcrum, itbecomes embedded in the tissue of a patient, which requires a surgicaloperation for removal of the embedded portion of the needle. This dangerarises duek to the tissue being compressed when making an injection andthe consequent rebound of the tissue which obscures the embedded portionof a broken needle, especially in movable or moving tissue. It is thepurpose of this invention to overcome these diiliculties with anefcient, economical syringe equipment structure.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide syringe equipment inwhich a leak-proof joint may be had between a separate needle and asyringe container body; to provide means for mounting a needle on asyringe body wherein a leak-proof joint may be made without the use ofimplements or tools; to provide means for mounting a needle inleak-proof relation to a frangible discharge nipple of a syringe; toprovide in syringe equipment a ferrule for attaching a needle to asyringe body whereby the sharpened end of the needle may be guidedthrough an opening in the ferrule; to provide a ferrule for mounting aneedle to va syringe body in which the ferrule is 5 provided with a.resilient portion to receive lateral stress on the needle and in whichthe fulcrum of the needle when under lateral` stress is on a rigidportion of the ferrule which is inset axially from the extreme end ofthe ferrule; to provide a ferrule for needles of varying diameters; toprovide an improved type of needle for syringe equipment separate fromthe attaching hub or ferrule and arranged for making a leakproof jointwith a syringe body; to provide a mounting for needles of variousdiameters.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, and size, number of parts and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of theinvention.

To more clearly comprehend the invention reference is directed to theaccompanying drawing wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a horizontal side view of a syringe illustrating relativelocation of elements.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing one form of the invention, withsyringe body in fragment and needle in full.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the invention showing the adaptationto a syringe body known as the Leur type of syringe, with syringe bodyin fragment and needle in full.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of modi- 40 ed form of ferruleor hub and needle structure, with modied form of ferrule in section.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of ferrule or hub and needle structure inmodified form, with modiled` form of ferrule in section.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal view of needle structure and modified form offerrule or hub in section.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section of modified form of ferrule or hub,with needle in full.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of modied form ofneedle seat.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like characters of reference designatecorresponding parts,

I0 represents a hollow syringe body generally 55 may be externallysmooth as in Fig. 3, the former usually being characteristic of met-alsyringe bodies, and the latter being usually characteristie of glasssyringe bodies known as the Leur type. With the Leur type which has asmooth ,exterior surface to the nipple, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it isdesirable to provide an adapter I3 having a recess I4 with a smoothinternal wall I5 into which the smooth nipple I2 snugly tits 'and isfrictionally held. A tubular ferrule or hub I6 is provided to receivetherethrough a tubular needle or cannulay I1, the ferrule or hub havingan end I8 by which the ferrule may be connected to the syringestructure, andan opening at the opposite end I9 through which thesharpened ejection end of the needle cannula may pass. The internal wallof the ferrule or hub adjacent its connecting end I8 is preferablyinternally threaded as at and said internal wall intermediate the endsI8 and I9 may be provided With a tapered portion as at 2l to guide thesharpened point of the needle to and through the opening I9. The needlecannula I1 is provided With a lug 22 which is preferably fixedly mountedintermediate and spaced from both the ends of the needle so that it ismore nearly spaced to the connection end than the incision end as shownin Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,.and 8, and said lug is provided with varyingtransverse diameters so as to provide a tapered wall thereon from aportion of greater diameter, as indicated 23, to portions of lesserdiametenindicated 24 and 25, it being preferred that the taper of saidlug shall be in both directions axially of the needle from the portionof greater diameter 23 toward the respective portions of lesser diameter24 and 25 respectively, thus providing tapered wall sections 24EL and25a. Regardless of Whether the syringe body be of the threaded nippletype shown in Fig. 2 or of the smooth-nipple type shown in Fig. 3, thereis provided a mounting for the needle to the syringe structure ofsubstantially similar character, in Fig. 2 said mounting being direct tothe syringe body structure, and in Fig. 3 said mounting being to theadapter I3. For the purpose of mounting the needle to the syringestrueture, there is provided at the mounting portion a socket 26preferably having an arcuate chamfer 21 at the outer edge of itsinterior wall and preferably having its bottom wall 28 tapered inwardlyto the conduit 29 which provides communication to the interior of thesyringe body I0. The outer Wall of the connecting portion is threaded asat 30 to cooperate with the threads 20 of the ferrule or hub |6 wherebythe hub and connecting portion may be releasably connected, with the lug22 and needle cannula I1 engaged therein, one tapered wall 21|a of thelug 22 seating on the chamfered edge 21 and the opposite end portion ofthe lug seating on the tapered Wall 2| of the ferrule or hub I6. Suchstructure pro- -vides a double tapered seat between the needle and thesyringe structure and permits a leakproof joint to be m-ade by manualmanipulation With thumb and finger of the hand Without the use of tools.It will be noted that the needle is thus provided with a double seatwhich forms not only a. leak-proof joint, but also a bracing for theneedle at spaced points so that even though the opening I9 should belarger than the exterior diameter of the needle, nevertheless the needlewould be iirmly braced against-wobbling on its seat, thus permitting theuse of a single hub or ferrule with needles of varying diameters. Formost advantageous use of needles or cannulas of various diameters, theend portion of ferrule I6 may include a resilient member 3| which willfirmly grip the needles of varying diameters, and will prevent dullingthe sharpened end upon insertion of the needle.

Referring to Fig. 4 in which a modification is shown of ferrule andneedle, a resilient member 3| such as rubber is inserted in and held bythe end portion of the ferrule and may be extended beyond the openingI9. The tapered wall a of the lug 22 seats on the tapered wall 2| ofthe.

ferrule.

In the modification of Fig. 5 the tapered wall 25 of the lug seats onthe tapered wall 2| of the ferrule, and the resilient member 3| isextended beyond the end of the ferrule and has a base portion 33 engagedtherein by an inturned bead 34 of the ferrule cooperating with anannular groove 35 in the base portion of the resilient member.

In Fig. 6 a modication is shown wherein the f-ernile I6 is substantiallyimbedded in the resilient member 3|, as by molding the resilient memberover corrugations 36 of the ferrule, and the resilient member may befurther fixedly maintained on the ferrule by an annular band 31.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the tapered wall 2| is continued into the resilientmember 3| which has its opening 38 with resilient walls which serve thepurposes of permitting the use of needles of various diameters, and alsosnugly grip the needle so that if the needle should break at its rigidfulcrum there would be sufiicient length extending from the tissue topermit withdrawal of the broken portion from the tissue; and in Figs. 5and 6 the opening 38 is al slit which closes by its own resiliency uponwithdrawal of the needle, and thereby seals the internal cavity Withinthe syringe structure, and serves as a packing gland around the needlewhen in use.

In each of the structures of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the tapered wall 248L ofthe lug seats on a chamfer edge 21 in like manner as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 shows a still 4further modiiication of needle and hub, -the hubhaving an extension or sleeve I6L which may be swaged to the needle. InFig. 7 there is a fixed relationship between the hub or ferrule I6 andneedle I1, and the resilient member 3| may be moulded to the ferrule orhub I6 and further secured by an annular band 31 in substantially thesame manner as in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows an adaptation of seating the base I1a of needle I1 directlyon the conical taper of the bottom wall 28 of socket 26. This isparticularly desirable in the use of needles `of large diameter. The lug22 seats at its maximum diameter on the tapered wall 2|, but may notseat on the chamifer edge 21. Nevertheless, a leak-proof joint will beformed by the continuous narrow line of contact on a tapered wallbetween lug 22 and wall 2|, and wall 28 and needle base |15. Such astructure adapts the same syringe to needles of varying diameters, forwhich purpose the ferrules of Figs. 4, 5, or 6 are especially eiective,since the resilient member is adapted to accommodate a range of needlediameters.

In the devices of the Figs. 4, 5, 6, and '7, it will be noted that theneedle may bend when subjected to lateral stress in practical operationby deforming the resilient member, and that the fulcrum of the needleagainst a rigid portion of the ferrule is substantially spaced from theextreme end or opening I9, so that if the needle should break wheninserted in tissue and ii.' the grip ofthevresilient material on theneedle should fail' to be suiiicient to withdraw the broken portion oi'the needle, there will still remain a very appreciable length of needlewhich is free of the tissue, so that the broken shaft may be withdrawnby pincers or other implement, since the needle shaft cannot be insertedinto tissue to a greater depth than the portion which is free andextends beyond the end I9.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent oi the United States is:-

1. In syringe equipment, a tubular syringe body having at its dischargeend a portion provided with a socket for seating an ejection needle, atubular ejection needle having mounted thereon a tapered lug adapted toseat on the outer open end of the socket portion, and a ferrule memberadapted at one end for connection to the socket portion, said ferrulemember having a flexible body at its opposite end with an openingthrough which the discharge end of the needle may pass.

2. In syringe equipment, an adapter provided with socket to receive adischarge nipple of a tubular syringe body and having a discharge endportion provided with a socket for seating an ejection needle, a tubularejection needle having mounted thereon a tapered lug adapted to seat onthe outer open end of the socket portion, and a ferrule member adaptedat one end for connection to the socket portion, said i'errule memberhaving a flexible body at its opposite end with an opening through whicha discharge end oi.' the needle may pass.

3. In syringe equipment, a ferrule for attachment oi' a tubular ejectionneedle to the discharge end of a syringe body, comprising a hollow bodyportion at one end for connection to a discharge end of a tubularsyringe and an elastic body portion of inherently resilient material atits opposite end, said elastic body portion being mounted with relationto the ferrule so that its resiliency is maintained when the ferrule issecurely mounted to a syringe body and said elastic body portion havingan opening through which the discharge end of a tubular needle may pass.

4. In syringe equipment, a ferrule for attachment of a tubular ejectionneedle to the discharge end of a syringe body, comprising a hollow bodyportion at one end for connection to a discharge end of a tubularsyringe and an elastic body portion of inherently resilient material atits opposite end, said elastic body portion having an opening throughwhich the discharge end of a tubular needle may pass, said ferrulehaving a tapered internal wall intermediate the extreme ends thereof forguiding a needle into the opening through the elastic body portion.

GEORGE N. HEIN.

